What happened
On September 9, 2000, at approximately 08:30 local time, a Cessna 188 (registration EC-ETS) was performing agricultural spraying operations near Puebla del Río, Seville. The aircraft was returning to the "El Reboso" airstrip from a nearby farm after completing one of several short-duration flights conducted that day.
As the pilot was landing, the aircraft encountered an unexpected wind gust coming from the left and from behind. This gust caused the aircraft to deviate to the left of the runway centerline. The aircraft continued moving left until the left main landing gear entered a drainage ditch. This impact caused the left wingtip to scrape the ground, followed by the right wing striking the ground. The incident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, including structural deformation to the left wing skin and damage to the right wing-to-fuselage attachment. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was valid and that all maintenance programs were up to date. The pilot held a valid commercial pilot license and was physically fit for flight operations.
Investigators analyzed the pilot's statement and the aircraft's handling characteristics. It was determined that the aircraft's main wheels were already in contact with the runway when the wind gust occurred. Because the Cessna 188 is a taildragger configuration, it possesses a larger surface area exposed to crosswinds behind the main wheels than in front of them. This aerodynamic characteristic makes such aircraft highly susceptible to sudden nose swings toward the direction of a side wind compared to tricycle gear aircraft.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was an unexpected wind gust from the left and rear that altered the aircraft's direction during the landing phase.
- The low ground speed at the moment of the gust prevented the pilot from effectively correcting the deviation before the aircraft left the runway surface.